"HFM" as I call it over text message, is Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. No, it has no relation to hoof and mouth disease or any other livestock disease. It mostly affects children under 5 with a fever a rash on their hands, feet, and INSIDE THEIR MOUTHS.

Oh, and some adults also get those same symptoms (though apparently it affects adults worse).

Poor Bennett was confirmed to have HFM on Friday, and after feeling awful for two days, I found out Saturday night I had HFM too.

So we are on lockdown and I haven't left the house in days. Thankfully my family is here to help since I'm not at my most useful. Hopefully their helping hands won't be rewarded with my favorite acronymed viral infection. Merry HFM to you!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

I haven't posted an update in awhile, and I was inspired to, since so much has changed for this little guy.

Most importantly, he wears button down shirts now. :)

Slightly less importantly, he is walking! He took his first steps months ago, but now he is officially walking everywhere (with some crawling thrown in for good measure). He isn't running quite yet, but he can do a very fast walk when trying to get something he really wants.

He takes lots of trips to the park (usually with our nanny), and really knows how to find his way to the top of a slide and flip onto his belly to slide down.

It's so fun to see him enjoying the park like such a kid, and Orelia is very happy he can join her in play there.

Orelia is his very best friend and constant playmate. They do, of course, fight over random toys in the house, but generally she is very sweet to him and will let him have a turn with even her most prized possessions. She can make him laugh the deepest belly laughs in the world.

Bennett's other best friend is Harper. He is always following her around and trying to play fetch with her. She has taken a beating the past month with lots of fur tugged and bones snatched away, but she rarely leaves his side and must enjoy the attention.

Bennett is doing a lot of talking these days and seems to pop up with a new word almost every day. His favorite words are his favorite things: "Mama," "Ha-per," "eaves" (leaves), "vroom vroom," "dog," and "out."

He does a little bit of signing - mostly just signing for milk or all done - and attempts to say a few Spanish words (learned from our nanny). He knows how to make his interests known.

While he's a very active kid and loves to be outside, he gets a lot of enjoyment out of books and wooden puzzles as well. If it's a book about trucks, especially a book about trucks with flaps, this kid is in heaven and can look at it all day it seems.

He has his own ideas about what he wants all the time. Whether it's something to eat, a toy he wants, or that he wants to go for a walk. We are mostly able to understand what he's asking for, which is great as long as we are willing to give it to him.

He is still a good eater, though I think he has slowed down a bit from a few months ago. He enjoys flavorful foods over bland things (fried rice of white rice, pesto pasta over plain noodles) and he likes a variety of foods at each meal. He's the opposite of his sister!

He takes two naps every day, and most days lately we are waking him up from both naps in order to keep him on a normal schedule. He goes to bed around 8PM, which means he gets a little more time in the evening with the whole family.

Fall has proven to be pure magic to this leaf-loving guy. He still likes to carry around leaves whenever he is outside, and I can hardly imagine what we will do when winter comes.

It's such a joy watching Bennett grow into a toddler. He is so full of life and happiness - we are beyond blessed to have him in our family.

Monday, December 14, 2015

I think Orelia would very strongly say that blue-haired girls have more fun, but I much prefer her hair blonde.

These photos were taken before the blue hair dye event, and I am so eager for her hair to be blonde again.

She looks younger and sweeter as a blonde, which is why I prefer it that way. My oldest girl is growing up way too fast.

She loves all the attention her blue hair gets, but hopefully she won't get too upset when I discourage her from dying it purple next. Maybe Uncle Bobby can just say he forgot the hair dye next visit. :)